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Derivative Instruments and Hedging Activities (Corn)
12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2015
Teucrium Corn Fund [Member]  
Derivative Instruments and Hedging Activities

Note 5 - Derivative Instruments and Hedging Activities

In the normal course of business, the Fund utilizes derivative contracts in connection with its proprietary trading activities. Investments in derivative contracts are subject to additional risks that can result in a loss of all or part of an investment. The Fund's derivative activities and exposure to derivative contracts are classified by the following primary underlying risks: interest rate, credit, commodity price, and equity price risks. In addition to its primary underlying risks, the Fund is also subject to additional counterparty risk due to inability of its counterparties to meet the terms of their contracts. For years ended December 31, 2015 and 2014, the Fund invested only in commodity futures contracts.

Futures Contracts

The Fund is subject to commodity price risk in the normal course of pursuing its investment objectives. A futures contract represents a commitment for the future purchase or sale of an asset at a specified price on a specified date.

The purchase and sale of futures contracts requires margin deposits with a FCM. Subsequent payments (variation margin) are made or received by the Fund each day, depending on the daily fluctuations in the value of the contract, and are recorded as unrealized gains or losses by the Fund. Futures contracts may reduce the Fund's exposure to counterparty risk since futures contracts are exchange-traded; and the exchange's clearinghouse, as the counterparty to all exchange-traded futures, guarantees the futures against default.

The Commodity Exchange Act requires an FCM to segregate all customer transactions and assets from the FCM's proprietary activities. A customer's cash and other equity deposited with an FCM are considered commingled with all other customer funds subject to the FCM's segregation requirements. In the event of an FCM's insolvency, recovery may be limited to the Fund's pro rata share of segregated customer funds available. It is possible that the recovery amount could be less than the total of cash and other equity deposited.

The following table discloses information about offsetting assets and liabilities presented in the statements of assets and liabilities to enable users of these financial statements to evaluate the effect or potential effect of netting arrangements for recognized assets and liabilities. These recognized assets and liabilities are presented as defined in FASB ASU No. 2011-11 “Balance Sheet (Topic 210): Disclosures about Offsetting Assets and Liabilities” and subsequently clarified in FASB ASU 2013-01 “Balance Sheet (Topic 210): Clarifying the Scope of Disclosures about Offsetting Assets and Liabilities.”

The following table also identifies the fair value amounts of derivative instruments included in the statements of assets and liabilities as derivative contracts, categorized by primary underlying risk and held by the FCM, ED&F Man as of December 31, 2015 and Newedge USA as of December 31, 2014.

 

Offsetting of Financial Liabilities and Derivative Liabilities as of December 31, 2015

  (i)   (ii)   (iii) = (i) – (ii)   (iv)   (v) = (iii) – (iv)
Gross Amount Not Offset in the
Statement of Assets and Liabilities
Description   Gross Amount
of Recognized
Liabilities
  Gross Amount
Offset in the
Statement of
Assets and
Liabilities
  Net Amount
Presented in the
Statement of
Assets and
Liabilities
  Futures Contracts Available for Offset   Collateral, Due
from Broker
  Net Amount
Commodity price                        
Corn futures contracts   $ 3,908,550   $ -   $ 3,908,550   $ -   $ 3,908,550   $ -


Offsetting of Financial Assets and Derivative Assets as of December 31, 2014

    (i)   (ii)   (iii) = (i) – (ii)   (iv)   (v) = (iii) – (iv)  
                       
                Gross Amount Not Offset in the
Statement of Assets and Liabilities 
     
Description   Gross Amount
of Recognized
Assets
  Gross Amount
Offset in the
Statement of
Assets and
Liabilities
  Net Amount
Presented in the
Statement of
Assets and
Liabilities
  Futures
Contracts
Available for
Offset
  Collateral, Due
to Broker
    Net Amount
Commodity price                                     
Corn futures contracts   $ 3,651,637   $ -   $ 3,651,637   $ 1,899,925   $ -   $ 1,751,712  


Offsetting of Financial Liabilities and Derivative Liabilities as of December 31, 2014

  (i)   (ii)   (iii) = (i) – (ii)   (iv)   (v) = (iii) – (iv)
Gross Amount Not Offset in the
Statement of Assets and Liabilities
Description   Gross Amount
of Recognized
Liabilities
  Gross Amount
Offset in the
Statement of
Assets and
Liabilities
  Net Amount
Presented in the
Statement of
Assets and
Liabilities
  Futures Contracts Available for Offset   Collateral, Due
from Broker
  Net Amount
Commodity price                        
Corn futures contracts   $ 1,899,925   $ -   $ 1,899,925   $ 1,899,925   $ -   $ -

 

The following is a summary of realized and net change in unrealized gains (losses) of the derivative instruments utilized by the Fund:

Year ended December 31, 2015

Net Change in Unrealized  
Realized Loss on Appreciation or Depreciation on  
Commodity Futures Contracts Commodity Futures Contacts  
Commodity Price    
Corn futures contracts   $ (8,533,650 )   $ (5,660,263
                 

Year ended December 31, 2014

Net Change in Unrealized  
Realized Loss on Appreciation or Depreciation on  
Commodity Futures Contracts Commodity Futures Contacts  
Commodity Price    
Corn futures contracts   $ (11,085,713 )   $ 6,636,500
                 

Year ended December 31, 2013

Net Change in Unrealized  
Realized Loss on Appreciation or Depreciation on  
Commodity Futures Contracts Commodity Futures Contacts  
Commodity Price    
Corn futures contracts   $ (10,581,838 )   $ (2,671,013 )
                 

Volume of Derivative Activities

The average notional market value categorized by primary underlying risk for the futures contracts held was $71.0 million in 2015, $106.4 million in 2014 and $46.5 million in 2013.